The discovery of more than $100,000 worth of stolen gold and silver has left law enforcement in Jefferson and Clallam counties wondering to whom the treasure belongs.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Detective Joe Nole confirmed that a home in Kala Point was reported burglarized Feb. 18, when neighbors discovered an open door. The resident returned home and reported that coins from a collection were missing. The name of the collector is not being released.

OTHER SIDE OF THE PENINSULA

At about the same time, Marysville Police Department Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux reported that members of his department's pro-act team, the NITE (Neighborhood livability, Investigations, Targeting offenders, Education) Team, had recovered hundreds of stolen gold and silver bars, ingots and coins valued at an estimated $115,000.

“The officers received reliable information that allowed them to obtain a search warrant for a residence located in the city of Everett,” said Lamoureux, who credited the assistance of the Everett Police Department's pro-act team with helping his officers recover the collection of gold and silver on the evening of Feb. 28. The recovered pieces included gold and silver bars and ingots, as well as a wide variety of gold and silver coins, including gold South African Krugerrands.

Lamoureux said that officers also seized multiple ounces of both heroin and methamphetamine, along with a vehicle that was located at the residence in Everett.

He added that, on the afternoon of March 1, officers served a second search warrant on the vehicle, and recovered another estimated $5,000 in additional stolen gold and silver coins in the process.

WHICH COLLECTOR LOST THEIR LOOT?

While this might have seemed like an open-and-shut case at first, Nole credited fellow Detective Brett Anglin with checking around the region to make sure the gold and silver belonged to the Kala Point resident.

“What we found was that there had been a theft in Clallam County around the same time,” Nole said. “They arrested a suspect of their own, but there are still suspects out there, and it's unknown at this time who this stuff belongs to, whether it's their collector or ours or a combination of the two.”

Nole explained that the investigation is complicated by the fact that neither collector recorded serial numbers for their coins.

“They both bought a lot of their stuff from the same place in Sequim, so they even have similar receipts,” Nole said. “It'll probably come down to checking things like how the items were packaged, and whether they have fingerprints that match either of the victims.”

In the meantime, Marysville police are continuing to hold onto the gold and silver for safe keeping.